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Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Many of you are out of school or work today in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. If you are, or even if you’re at your normal routine, I hope you’ll take a few minutes today to reflect on what today is all about. King, like any other human being, was not without his faults (see the bits about extramarital affairs and plagiarism here). But you really can’t argue with the fact that he dedicated his adult life to a just cause, securing equal rights for those who would otherwise have had to struggle for who knows how long to achieve them.

I think it is especially meaningful today to remind ourselves of the core of King’s message. The reality is that, almost 43 years after his tragic death, his dream has not been fully realized. Formal, state-sponsored segregation is no more, yet racism and division based on color, gender, and socio-economic status still exist. Below you can find a link to the full video of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s most famous speech, the “I Have a Dream Speech” delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Sony Music Entertainment apparently owns the rights, and will only allow it to be viewed on YouTube. So, if you have some time available, click over there and check it out.